Venetian blind operating mechanism



Jan. 2, 1934. w DUNN VENETIAN BLIND OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 9, 1953 2 Sheets$heet mvsmow LMJ ATTORNEY Jam-2, 1934. J. w. DUNN 1,941,830

VENETIAN BLIND OPERATING MECHANISM Fild Oct. 9, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill INVENTOR Mafia VV/W/am Duh/7 BY M/TWMQ ATTORNEY Paten ted Jan. 2, 1934 PATENT OFFICE UNITED STATES Application October 9, 1933.

12 Claims.

This invention relates to Venetian blinds and more particularly to the supporting means for the slats.

Venetian blinds commonly comprise a plurality of slats connected together by straps or flexible lines which range transversely across the outer edges of the slats and are connected at their ends to the top and bottom slats. The top slat is pivotally supported from a header so that by tilting the top slat the slats may be caused to lie in spaced horizontal relation, in overlapping relation edge to edge, or in positions intermediate. Due to the straps being secured to the top or header slat, the latter .acts as a winding drum and the straps are wound thereon when the slats are moved to overlapping position. This 'results in the depending slats being raised bodily. Substantially the entire blind is lifted bodily a short distance, and the weight of the blind tends to unwind the straps and open the blind. The result is that in closing the blind, the final movement must be efiected against the weight of the blind, the latter being lifted. The effort of closing is increased. Furthermore, due to the 2 tendency of the blind to open, any yielding locking device employed must resist a substantial force which in closing the blind is added to the normal force required to tilt and lift the blind.

The primary object of this invention is to 3 provide. a hanger, wherein the slats are bodily lowered at closing and the weight of the blind will tend to finally close and maintain the latter in lowered and closed position; and wherein the weight of the blind will aid in lifting the blind in opening the latter.

These objects together with other objects as hereinafter set forth are obtained by means'of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a Venetian blind; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale of a fragment of the blind showing the header slat and supports, parts being broken out to make the view compact; Fig. 3 is a section as seen on the plane designated by 33 in Fig. 2; Figs.

4, 5 and 6 are sectional views on the planes correspondingly designated in Fig. 2; Fig. '7 is a transverse section through the header slat showing in full lines the open blind position and in dotted lines the closed blind position; and Fig. 8 is a transverse view showing positions of the hanger oscillatable member corresponding to open and closed blind positions.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawings, 10 designates a window frame. Se-

Serial No. 692,785

cured to the window frame is a top rail 11. At the ends of the top rail are blind supporting devices or hangers 12 and 14. A hanger 13 is shown at the center. The usual straps 15 are secured to the header slat 16, as best shown in Figs. 2 to 8. The straps are likewise secured to the bottom slat 17. Passing over rollers 18 in the top rail are lifting cords 19, best shown in Fig. 2. The lifting cords are fastened at their lower ends to the bottom slat. The construction just bescribed is in general that which is current in Venetian blinds. The hangers 12, 13 and 14 differ from those commonly used and embody the distinctive features of the blind.

It will be noted from Fig. '7 that the left hand straps 15 wind over the surface of header slat 16 as the slat approaches closed position. The surface acts as a winding drum and shortens the left hand straps 15. Obviously the right hand straps 15 will be correspondingly wound on the bottom slat. Shortening of straps 15 cause the entire portion of the blind below slat 16 to be lifted. The final closing movement of the blind requires an additional effort of raising the ent re blind. There is also a tendency for the weight 89 of the blind to unwind and open the blind.

My hangers 12 and 14 for the blind, are alike in general construction. Referring to Fig. 4 showing hanger 12, an open ended casing 20 has flanges at one end for receiving screws to attech it to the top rail 11. The side walls of the casing 20 having alined guide slots 21 for the pintles of an oscillatable member. The casing forms a frame and has journalled on the side walls a pair of oppositely disposed rollers 22. An oscillatable member 23 comprising a sector of a gear has outstanding arcuate ribs 24 which are disposed to ride on rollers 22. On the oscillatable member 23 are hollow hubs 25. The bores of the hubs are squared forming a continuous bore. Extending through the bore is a square stem 26, spun over at one end so that it forms with hubs 25 pintles which are guided in slots 21 to vertical lineal movement, the axis of the pintles being above and eccentric to the axis of the member 23. Secured to stem 26 is a cross arm 27 having studs 28 adapted to be inserted in sockets fdrmed in one end of header slat 16.

Mounted in hearings in frame 20 is a worm shaft 29 having a worm 30 meshing with the sector gear 23. On the end'of shaft 29 is a pulley wheel 31 having a corrugated groove to receive a pulley chain 32 serving for rotation of the shaft 29 and oscillation of gear 23. The means disclosed and just described for actuating oscillat- I on the oscillatable member able member 23 is a mechanical expedient commonly employed and the specific details thereof are not pertinent to the present invention.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 8, the hanger 14 has a casing 33, in which are journalled rollers 34. A ribbed oscillatable member 35 is supported on rollers 34 and has alined pintles 36 and 37 guided in slots, one of which is marked 38 in Fig. 5. The member 35 idles in the frame 33 and is similar to oscillatable member 23 except it has no gear teeth. A further difference shown resides in pintle 37 which has a slot 39 cut in its end to receive a flat stud 40 extending from a base which is secured to header slat 16.

The center support or hanger 13 comprises a bracket 41 having a roller 42 secured thereto. Secured tothe header slat 16 is a ribbed or oscillatable member 43 which rides on roller 42.

The oscillatable members 23, 35 and 43 have arcs of the same degree of curvature and are disposed with the axis of the header slat 16 and pintles of members 23 and 35 in the same eccentric relation to the oscillatable members.

In the positions of parts shown in Figs. 1 to 6, the blind is open and the slats lie horizontal. As the oscillatable members 23, 35 and 43 are swung to one side or the other the pintles of member 23 and 35 and the header slat 16 with depending 'slats are lowered. This is apparent from an inspection of Fig. 8. The weight of the blind aids in swinging the oscillatable members to position closing the blind. The weight of the blind in closing counterbalances the effort required to lift the blind due to winding of straps 15 on slat 16 and lifting. Thus, no great effort is required in flnal closing of the blind. The weight of the blind also tends to hold the blind in closed position. To open the blind it must be raised by raising the slat 16. The unwinding tendency of the straps 15 react to aid in opening. It will be noted that the middle hanger 13 acts upon header slat 16 in like manner to hangers 12 and 14.

What I claim is:

1. A hanger for a Venetian blind comprising a frame adapted to be secured to a top rail, an oscillatable member guided on said frame to swing about an axis, and means on said memher for connecting a header slat thereto on an axis eccentrically positioned in relation to and above the axis of said member so as to be tiltable therewith.

2. A hanger for a Venetian blind comprising a frame adapted to be secured to a top rail, an oscillatable member to swing having an arcuate outstanding rib ranging about an axis, bearing means on said frame for said rib, and a pintle eccentric to and above said axis for connection to a header slat, said frame having means guiding said pintle to vertical lineal movement.

3. A hanger for a Venetian blind comprising a frame adapted to be secured to a top rail, an oscillatable member guided on said frame to swing about an axis, said frame being provided with a vertical guide slot disposed in alinement with said axis, and a pintle on the oscillatable member eccentric to and below said axis and riding in said guide slot, said pintle being adapted for connection to a header slat so as to be tilt ed therewith.

4. A hanger for a Venetian blind comprising a frame adapted to be secured to a top rail, a bearing roller on said frame, an oscillatable member having an arcuate outstanding rib supported on said roller, said frame being provided with a vertical guide slot disposed in alinement with and below said roller, and a pintle on the oscillatable member eccentric to and above the axis of said rib and riding in said guide slot, said pintle being adapted for connection to a slat.

5. A hanger for a Venetian blind comprising a frame adapted to be secured to a top rail, an oscillatable member having arcuate outstanding ribs, bearing rollers journalled on said frame and supporting said ribs, said frame being provided with vertical guide slots disposed in alinement with and below said rollers, and laterally directed pintles on the oscillatable member eccentrically disposed with relation to and above the axis of said ribs and riding in said guide slots, one of the pintles being adapted for attachment of a header slat thereto so as to be tilted therewith.

6. A hanger for a Venetian blind comprising a frame adapted to be secured to a top rail, an oscillatable member guided on said frame to swing about an axis, means on said member for connecting a header slat thereto on an axis eccentrically positioned in relation to and above the axis of said member so as to be tilted therewith, and means mounted on said hanger for swinging said oscillatable member.

7. A hanger for a Venetian blind comprising a frame adapted to be secured to a top rail, a bearing roller on said frame, an oscillatable member having an arcuate outstanding rib supported on said roller, said frame beingv provided with a vertical guide slot disposed in alinement with and below said roller, a pintle on the oscillatable member eccentric to and above the axis of said rib 1 10 and riding in said guide slot, said pintle being adapted to be connected to a header slat so as to be tilted therewith, and means mounted on said frame for swinging said oscillatable member.

8. In a Venetian blind, the combination of blind supporting means and a header'slat; said blind supporting means comprising hangers at the ends of said slat adapted to be secured to a top rail; each hanger including an oscillatable 120 member guided on said hanger to swing about an axis, means for removably connecting said header slat to said members on an axis eccentrically positioned in relation to and above the axis of said member to be tilted therewith; and means 125 mounted on one of said hangers for swinging its oscillatable member.

9. In a Venetian blind, the combination of blind supporting means and a header slat; said blind supporting means comprising hangers at the ends of said slat adapted to be secured to a top rail; each hanger including an oscillatable member guided on said hanger to swing having an arcuate butstanding rib about an axis, a pintle on the oscillatable member eccentric to and above said axis, means guiding said pintle to vertical lineal movement, said header slat being removably connected .to said pintles to be tilted therewith, and means mounted on one of said hangers for swinging its oscillatable member.

10. In a Venetian blind, the combination of blind supporting means and a header slat; said blind supporting means comprising hangers at the ends of said slat adapted to be secured to a top rail; each hanger including an oscillatable 145 member guided on said hanger to swing about an axis, said hanger being provided with a vertical guide slot disposed in alinement with and below said axisfa pintle on the oscillatable member eccentric to and below said axis and riding in said 150 guide slot, said header slat being removably connected to one of the pintles of each hanger to be tilted therewith; and means mounted on one of said hangers for swinging its oscillatable member.

11. In a Venetian blind, the combination of blind supporting means and a header slat; said blind supporting means comprising hangers at the ends of said slat adapted to be secured to a top rail; each hanger including a bearing roller, an oscillatable member having an arcuate outstanding rib supported on said roller, said hanger being provided with a vertical guide slot disposed in alinement with and below said roller, a pintle on the oscillatable member eccentric to and above the axis of said rib and riding in said guide slot; said header slat being removably connected to one of the pintles of each hanger to be tilted therewith; and means mounted on one of said hangers for swinging its oscillatable member.

12. In a Venetian blind, the combination of blind supporting means and a header slat; said =blind supporting means comprising hangers at the ends of said slat adapted to be secured to a top rail; each hanger including an oscillatable member having arcuate outstanding ribs, bearing rollers supporting said ribs, said hanger being provided with vertical guide slots disposed in alinement with and below said rollers, laterally directed pintles on the oscillatable member eccentrically disposed with relation to and above the axis of said ribs and riding in said guide slots; said header slat being removably connected to one of the pintles of each hanger to be tilted therewith; and means mounted on one of said hangers for swinging its oscillatable member. JOHN WILLIAM DUNN. 

